Stave-machine



UNITED STATES PATNT OFFICE.

SAML. F. GELSTON AND JOHN T. JOHNSON, OF BUFFALO, AND CHAS. R. TOMPKINS, OF `ROCHESTER, NEIN YORK, ASSIGNORS TO SAID GELSTON AND JOHNSON, OF BUFFALO,

NEW YORK.

STAVE-MACHINE.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 30,178, dated September 25, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL F. GELs'roN and JOI-1N T. JOHNSON, of Buialo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, and Ott-nis. R. ToMrKiNs, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State aforesaid, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Dressing Staves; and

we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in whichy Figure l, is a side elevation. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section on the line x ac of Fig. 3. Fig. 3, is a transverse section on the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is an end View or elevation of the convex bed l and former f detached. Fig. 5, is a longitudinal section of the same, showing the toothed wheel g in addition thereto.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

As represented in the drawings, A is the frame which is so formed as to present a steep inclination in front which terminates in the segment of a circle at the top, in the center of which the cutters for dressing t-he edges of the stave are arranged in the gate B. A series of four pairs of pressure rollers C, D, is provided in the circular portion of the frame, their journals having bearings in each side of the frame and extending beyond to receive gear wheels at each end, which connect them together, and with the driving wheel. These rollers are convex and concave, the upper series O, being concave, and the lower ones D, convex, their curvature being such as will press the stave into the form of the barrel for which it is designed. The rollers are geared so as to revolve together at uniform speed and in the same direction, power being applied to the band pulley E, which carries on the opposite end of its shaft the gear pinion F, from which the rollers, together with the cam-shaft, hereinafter described, are driven by the lines of gearing G and H, Fig. 3, arranged in the ordinary method of connecting gear wheels and pinions.

The first pair of rollers C, D', have a groove on their peripheries to receive` the endless chain I, which also runs over a small pulley a, which brings it on the same plane with the inclined feed-table J. The chain is provided with one or more nibs I) arranged at. suitable distances apart, which act as stops, or guides, against which the end of the stave is placed by the attendant in supplying the machine. The stave c is held against it until it enters between the first pair of rollers, when it is carried by them and the succeeding ones through the cutters, and discharged at the opposite end of the machine. After the forward end has passed the second pair it enters between the convex bed d and its correspondent concave f, which are adjusted by the set screws c e to tit closely upon it. The convex bed is provided with a toothed pinion g, Fig. 5; the teeth of which are so sharp as to readily enter the under side of the stave, and hold it from being moved laterally, or twisted out of its direction, by the action of the cutters upon it. This bed is attached to the frame A, at each side, and is stationary. The cutters L which dress the edges of the stave to the proper angle, are hung on spindles, 7c 7c, which have their journals in movable boxes in the top and bottom of the gate B, centrally between which are the band pulleys i c' by which they are driven.

The bearings of the spindles are attached to the gate by means of bolts which pass through curved slots, Z Z, which allows them to be moved farther apart at the top and nearer together at the bottom, according to the required angle to suit the diameter of the barrel or keg. This movement is eifected by the hand screws m m, and n n, which not only make the adjustment convenient and accurate, but hold the bearings steadily to their position while in use, so that no jarring or wear will displace them.

Upon a central shaft, K, is placed the cam L, Figs. 2 and 3. The gate B, rests on the periphery of this cam by the friction roller 0, and, as ways are provided in the side standards, M, in which the gate slides vertically, it receives a reciprocating motion at each revolution of the cam equal to the eccentricity thereof. This movement gives the stave the greatest breadth in the middle, to form the bilge of the barrel by so arranging the cam that the gate is raised to its greatest altitude when the end of the stave enters the cutters 7L, and, (the cam having made one revolution while the stave is passing the cutters) leaving it when the gate has returned again to the same point, so that the central portion of the stave is dressed by that part of the cutters which forms a wider space than the portion which operates on the ends. The shaft K, passes through a slot in the cam which admits of varying its position to greater or less eccentricity by means of wedges 1 r to make the bilge of the barrel greater or less.

To adapt the machine to dressing staves of different lengths, the position of the cam must be capable of adjustment. Its point must always pass the gate, or center of the cutters when the point of the stave just enters the cutters, and this is determined by the position of the nib which is in fact the gage by which the staves are fed to the cutters at the exact time to be correctly formed by the combined operation of the cam and cutters. In adjusting the machine to dress different lengths of staves it must be borne in mind that the point of the cam must always be vertical as in Fig. 2, when the stave enters the cutters. If it is to be adapted. to shorter staves the nib must be brought nearer to the cutters,-if longer, farther off. This is efected by loosening the set screw p, Fig. l, which secures the driving wheel N, to the shaft K. A mark s is made on' the end of the shaft indicating when the point of the cam is perpendicular, and the hub of the wheel is divided and marked in inches 10, l2, 14, 16, &c., which numbers, when multiplied by two, give the length of the stave which the machine dresses when the mark s corresponds with a certain one of them. Thus when set at 10, it forms a stave 2O inches long; at 16, 32 inches long. When the set-screw p is loosened the machine is run until the wheel, N, is brought around to the desired point when it is stopped and the wheel secured. This movement of the machinery really carries the nib b to its right position relative to the cam, and the numbers on the wheel indicate that fact.

A horizontal cutter may be attached to the machine to dress the face of the stave,

before it enters between the pressure rollers which prepare it to be jointed by the de scribed cutters; but this being a feature common to machines for this purpose, it has not been thought necessary to show it.

We are aware that nibs have been used on chains, and on the peripheries of wheels for the purpose of seizing the stave at its outer end and carrying it into the machine to be operated upon by the cutters, and this We do not claim; neither do we claim separately the Ese of a cam to form the bilge of the stave;

That we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The method of adjusting the machine to operate on staves of different lengths by means of the indeX driving wheel N, in combination with the nib, b, substantially as described.

SAML. F. GELSTON. JOHN T. JOHNSON. OHAS. R. TOMPKINS. Witnesses to S. F. Gelston and J. T. Johnson:

SAMUEL LAKE, NELSON J ANEs. Vitnesses to Chas. R. Tompkins:

S. FRASER, J. M. SMITH. 

